Turnberry’s Ailsa Course is ranked eighth in the world. It has hosted four Open Championships, including the famous 1977 Duel in the Sun, which remains the most celebrated head-to-head in major championship history. The last time top players competed there was in 2009. The course has been quiet for sixteen years, not due to any decline, but because its owner drew too much attention.

The owner is now facing a formal sanctions demand. Earlier this month, the United States carried out a military strike against Iran. As the operation took place, President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” The post was quickly condemned across Europe. This week in Glasgow, Zack Polanski, Deputy Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, pointed to that post and Trump’s overall behavior as reasons for the UK Parliament to act. He called on the government to take away Trump’s two Scottish golf properties, Turnberry in South Ayrshire and the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire.

Scottish Green co-leader Ross Greer supported the call by mentioning the UK’s responsibilities under the Genocide Convention. The Green Party does not have a majority in Parliament and cannot force action, but it can put pressure on the government, which it did this week. In response, Trump International Scotland called Polanski “an imbecile” who should never hold public office.

The Glasgow press conference followed a series of protests and actions. On March 8, tens of thousands marched in London against US military action in Iran, directly criticizing the British government’s role. Six weeks later, on April 20, Greenpeace activists set up a wind farm on the fourth hole at Trump Turnberry, displaying a sign that linked Trump’s Iran policy to rising UK energy prices. Polanski’s call for sanctions is the most significant political move so far, but it is part of a clear sequence.

The political debate continues, but the impact on golf is already clear.

Trump has invested over $300 million in his Scottish golf courses. The Ailsa course was renovated in May 2025, with holes moved along the clifftop and the coastal stretch improved. Despite these changes, the R&A has chosen Royal Lytham for the 2028 Open, leaving Turnberry out of contention. According to R&A chief executive Mark Darbon, the decision is due to infrastructure issues around Ayrshire, including road, rail, and accommodation.

Last July, Trump strongly advocated for Turnberry to host the Open again, saying the R&A had invested millions in the course’s infrastructure. However, the governing body disagreed, explaining that only a small amount of cabling from 2009 remained. The situation at Augusta National offers a useful comparison. That club faced years of criticism over its membership policies but managed to separate itself from the controversy and keep its spot on the golf calendar. Turnberry doesn’t have that option. Here, the controversy is not just connected to the ownership—it is the ownership.

Polanski made his position clear.

“Removing him from the golf course feels like the very least we could do.”

Trump International Scotland responded immediately.

“The comments in relation to our golf courses in Scotland are frankly ludicrous and ignorant and made by a man who is an imbecile.”

That exchange highlights the political noise, but it does not address the real issue: Turnberry has boxed itself in by trying to wait out the controversy.

Turnberry’s dilemma: When waiting costs more than playing

Turnberry stands out because it has isolated itself while still hoping to keep its options open. Club officials have made it clear: no LIV Golf, no non-R&A professional events, and nothing that could make the governing body shut them out for good. As a result, the course has cut itself off from every major professional opportunity. It has turned down LIV’s money and the DP World Tour’s exposure, all to stay eligible for a major that hasn’t been held in over 10 years and likely won’t be soon.

Trump National Doral, under the same ownership, now hosts the PGA Tour’s Miami Championship, a $20 million Signature Event and the tour’s first return since 2016. The institutional relationships could not be more different. American golf has re-engaged. Scottish golf remains frozen. Tourism brings in over £1.1 billion each year. The Menie Estate now runs a second 18-hole course, aiming for the top of modern links rankings. The Polanski sanctions call does not change the numbers.

The course earns its reputation daily. Its exile is a direct result of its owner’s choices.